Diabetes is a tough condition to live with and if your have Type 1 Diabetes, you do not have a choice. Type 1 is a life-long condition.
Type 2 Diabetes can also be life-long for some people but others are lucky enough to be able to put it in remission using a Low Carb Diet. If you are overweight, you may be one of the lucky ones so give the Low Carb a try and see how you get on.
Insulin is the hormone that controls the usage and storage of glucose (sugar) and the storage of fat in the body. Excess glucose damages proteins in the blood such as red blood cell, thereby affecting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to small capillaries in the feet, eyes, heart, brain & kidneys. Poorly managed diabetes can result in amputations, blindness, heart attacks/strokes but also affects immunity leaving people vulnerable to viruses and bugs.
A Low Carbohydrate diet reduces the amount of glucose and thus the need for Insulin. You can survive on fat as a fuel and better again, the diet does not have to be drastic. My clients ate thriving on my low carb food recipes and losing weight. Fat adds wonderful flavour to food and fills you up and I am not talking huge amounts of fats. All my female clients are eating under 1500 kcalories and male under 1800 kcalories.
Dietary sources of Glucose (sugar)
| Grains | cereals, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, any products that contain flour – cake, buns, pastry, breaded fish/meat, sauces, |
| Legumes | Lentils & Beans (13g-18g carbohydrate per 100g cooked), |
| Drinks | Soft drinks, fruit juice, alcohol (not spirits) |
| Fruits | the sugar fructose |
| Vegetables | root veg (spuds, parsnip, turnip, carrot, onion, peas) have more than greens (cabbage, broccoli, courgette, etc) |
| Confectionary | chocolate, sweets, gums, cakes, chewing gum |
| Sugar/Honey | All added sweeteners to foods e.g. white sugar, honey, stevia, syrup, molasses |
Would you like to give Low Carb a try?
What I would advise you to do is research the area. Information is power. It changes your mindset giving you a far greater chance of success. I will share some of what I researched myself before I became an advocate of Low Carb for weight-loss and Type 2 Diabetes remission.
Watch this video – the personal experience of a Biochemist, Dr. Wendy Pogozelski, diagnosed with Diabetes who chose to follow her knowledge rather than advice from her American dietician. I contacted her to see if fruit and vegetables were within the 20g to 50g carbohydrate per day and yes they are. She feels very well on 20g carb/day which is a ketogenic diet. Instead of eating an apple, she will share the apple.
Check out www.dietdoctor.com, especially their very clear visual aids.
Dr Stephen Phinney appears on many utube videos. He is the doctor who most impressed me with his knowledge and experience.
If you need help, I run a Low Carb programme and offer 8 week programmes. By the end of the 8 weeks, you will feel comfortable and confident going forward.
If you feel confident starting out alone, take a look at my recipes online. www.justweight.ie. Tasty full-fat flavoursome foods. Avoid feeling deprived, allow yourself a little of the foods you love occasionally BUT on active days.
Exercise every day to use up your energy stores. Do a form of movement that you love so that is easy to maintain – walking, cycling, pilates etc.
Take great care of your liver. It stores sugar and makes sugar and controls the flow of cholesterol. Alcohol is poisonous to the liver so drink moderate amounts and always give your liver a 4 to 5 day break from alcohol. Hydrate well. Manage your life stressors or they can overload your liver.
Some foods & nutrients may increase the sensitivity of the cell wall enabling insulin to attach and transmit its signal. – Magnesium, Green tea, Cinnamon , Apple cider vinegar, Flavonoids (berries, pomegranate, green tea, cacao nibs, onions, grapes, ) Fibre (19g-34g), Inulin, FOS (supplement or in green banana) Biotin, Chromium (broccoli, green beans, tomatoes), Vitamin A , C , E. Essential Fats (salmon, flax oil, nuts, seeds).
Following is a fascinating video I came across where a young, very fit adult male was used in an experiment to assess how a fast food diet versus a high fibre diet affected his glucose levels. He changed from his usual fast food diet to a high-fibre diet containing lot of vegetables, lentils, portioned wholegrains and lean proteins and in just ONE month, he more than halved the amount of insulin he needed at a meal to manage the storage of fats and sugars from a fast food meal.
I run a Low-Carb food plan and I follow a Low-Carb food lifestyle. If you want help in getting started, email me joan@justweight.ie
Leave A Comment